Exploring the City with Jodi

Today, Jodi and I did not have to go to Hospital de Los Andes because our doctor called off from work.  What did that mean for Jodi and I? First off, we didn't have to wake up at 6am for rotation and we could do some exploring! 

First stop - Museo Nacional d'Arte - housed in the former Palaio de Los Condes de Arana, this building was constructed in 1775 of pink Viacha granite (Lonely Planet, 2010)

Free exhibit in the Museo Nacional d'Arte today - La Luz de la Memoria Arte y Violencia Política.

Here were some of my favorite pieces in the museum:

Una Tarde Roja by Wilson Roman; Aerografía 2012 (en memoria de la masacre en la Calle Harrington 15 de enero de 1981)

Interrogatorio by Edgar Arandia Quiroga; Instalación 1981

Then, we strolled around Plaza Murillo:

Cathedral - built in 1935

Inside the Cathedral

Stained glass window inside the Cathedral

Government building within Plaza Murillo

Plaza Murillo - statue of President Gualberto Villarroel - in 1946, he was dragged from the palace by vigilantes and hanged from a lamppost in the square.  Interestingly enough, don Pedro Domingo Murillo, for whom the plaza was named, met a similar fate in 1810 (Lonely Planet, 2010).

We walked a little further to Calle Jaén - La Paz's finest colonial street:

On Calle Jaén

Then strolled down The Prado to be home in time for lunch:

pic in front of the Simon Bolivar statue

Monument of the Fallen Soldier

One of many beautiful murals that are found throughout the city of La Paz

And you can't forget the zebras - volunteers of La Paz to help people walk across the street.  They call the crosswalk the "zebra" which is why they are dressed in zebra costumes.  They are super friendly and always up to take a picture!